Finger guard



June 20, 1944. E. w. BEATTY FINGEKGUARD Filed June 13, 1942 [werzforElmer M5304;

Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE half to Irwin W.

Danvllle, Ill.

Application June 13, 1942, Serial No. 440,859

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a guard or protective device for the finger orthumb and the general aim of the invention is to provide a strongwearresisting device of this character which is simple and may bemanufactured inexpensively from waste material.

An object is to provide a finger or thumb guard which embodies awear-resisting protecting or covering member fashioned from scrapleather having a back member formed of a resilient knitted fabricsecured thereto, the members being dimensioned to cover a finger orthumb with the protective member extending beyond the opposite ends ofthe back member.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking toward the protective member of aguard embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking toward the back. member andillustrating somewhat diagrammatically the manner of its use.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig.1.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will hereindescribe in detail, the preferred embodiment, but

it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit theinvention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover allmodifications and alternative constructions falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

A guard device embodying the features of the invention is a simplestructure which, while it affords ample protection to the wearer'sfinger or thumb in many industrial operations, may be manufactured fromsuch materials as scrap leather and knitted fabrics. The deviceconsequently may be manufactured and sold quite cheaply.

The exemplary form of device shown in the drawing comprises a protectivecovering member l0 preferably formed of scrap leather since thismaterial is cheap and relatively plentiful. The protective member iselongated to extend substantially the length of a finger and is ofsufficient width to curl partially about the opposite sides thereof.

A back member II is preferably fashioned of a knitted resilient fabricwhich may be of the type in which resiliency is increased by small bandsor threads of rubber l2 woven into the fabric. The back member may besuitably secured to the protective member along the side margins onlythereof by a line of stitching l3 thereby to form a finger or thumbreceiving tube. Preferably, the lines of stitching extend through theprotective and backing members and are positioned inwardly of the sidemargins of the protective member. By virtue of this inward spacing ofthe lines of stitching, said lines of stitching are protected by theoutwardly extending side margins of the protective member. The backmember is somewhat shorter than the protective member and isintermediately located relative thereto so that the protective memberextends beyond the ends of the back member, as at l4, It, to protect,respectively, the outer end and the inner knuckle portions of the fingeror thumb while avoiding undesirable lateral thickness of material at theends of the device. Preferably the line of stitching runs continuouslyabout the margin of the protective member for convenience in manufactureand the stitching at the ends of the device, while leaving the ends ofthe finger and thumb receiving tube open, tends to strengthen the endsof the protective member against tearing or fraying.

The present device is of particular importance in industry under presentconditions where protection to workers is especially desirable to avoidloss of production hours. The device, for example, may be employed toadvantage in such operations as bufling, grinding, polishing, sanding,sorting, trimming, stamping and in the operation of many machine toolsand the like.

I claim as my invention:

1. A guard for the finger or thumb of the hand having, in combination,an elongated protective member shaped and dimensioned to cover the frontor back surface of a finger or thumb and extend partially about oppositesides thereof, a back member fashioned of resilient material, and linesof stitching extending through said members and spaced inwardly from theside margins of said protective member. whereby the side margins of saidprotective member outwardly beyond the lines of stitching protect saidlines of stitching.

2. A guard for the finger or thumb of the hand. having, in combination,an elongated protective member of a length sumcient to coversubstantially the length of the front or back surface of a finger orthumb and of a width sufficient to cover said surface and to extendpartially of aid buck member and extending freelyboyuudoppodteondlotnldbuckmamber. and

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